animal kingdom

American

noun

the animals of the world collectively.

animal kingdom British

noun

a category of living organisms comprising all animals Compare plant kingdom mineral kingdom

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

animal kingdom Cultural

The group of living things typically distinguished from members of the plant kingdom by the power of moving from place to place and by a metabolism that does not use photosynthesis.

Etymology

Origin of animal kingdom

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The creatures I’m mentioning here aren’t flukes in the animal kingdom.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Showing Attenborough's cross-generational appeal, US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish has praised his "deep love and knowledge of our planet", adding: "The animal kingdom brings out the childlike curiosity within us all."

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Male humpback whales are famous for producing some of the most elaborate songs in the animal kingdom.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

This kind of tool use is rarely seen in the animal kingdom and has never been documented in cattle before.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Our lack of brothers and sisters makes it easier to imagine that we are the epitome of creation, and that a chasm separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023